Anthologies
by WallofTrolls
Summary: From the birth and death of the pokemon who brought the world murder, to the trauma of an innocent girl, this world is on fire.
1. Ep 1: The Bastard

The baby Espurr stirred in its sleep. Uncomfortable, it rolled onto its side, and returned unto the deeps.

The Meowstics stared.

"You told me we wouldn't do this," said the female. She bit her lip at the male's sharp gaze. He waved the bottle shard at her.

"Do you want this thing to just go unnoticed forever?" he hissed. "Because that's not going to happen, you know the way these things work, we need to...you know..."

"Get rid of the evidence," she said. She bit her lip. "Yes. I know. But you promised me we might keep this one. You know I can't have children, and this one-"

The male pressed the bottle shard against her throat.

"I will not let the son of a whore continue to live in _my_ house," he said.

Espurr stirred again. The Meowstics froze. Espurr returned to deep sleep. The female glared at the male.

"Don't look at me like that," he said.

"This is your fault," she spat. "If you hadn't gotten drunk-"

Espurr moaned in its sleep.

"Be quiet you dunce!" said the male. "If it wakes, we're both dead!"

She nodded.

"You're right," she said. "Let"s do this."

The male approached the Espurr, and raised the bottle shard high above its head...

Espurr awoke.

There was a frozen silence.

The splatter of blood.

And another return to silence, as Espurr slept away.

It would deal with the corpses later. It had to eat somehow, right?


	2. Ep 2: Conman

Espurr waited on the side of the road. He smiled at the cars as they went by. In his eye, no street nor soul did pass by as he waited by the asphalt line.

A white car pulled off the side and stopped a few feet away. A Diancie stepped from the driver's seat. She was younger than Espurr had expected. That was alright.

Diancie was nervous, he could see. Her trestles shook ever so slightly. He smiled at her.

"I almost expected you weren't going to make it," he said. He leaned on his cane, smiled wider. She looked at him in shock.

"Wait," she said. "You were the one that put out that ad?"

"Yes," he said. "Don't worry about it, though. I was expecting surprise. They always are. Expected I would have 'grown up'. 'Evolved.'"

He laughed.

"Evolution in overrated, I say," he said. "You live faster, die younger than if you'd stayed the way you were. Hell, look at me; I'm already twice as old as most Meowstic will ever be, and still going strong."

"About your ad," said Diancie.

"Yes," said Espurr. "What position were you interested in applying for?"

"Uhmm," she said. She shifted her lines. "...you said you had a...janitor's position open?"

Espurr frowned.

'What's a young girl like you doing trying to take a janitor's position?' he thought.

"I'm afraid that position has already been taken," he said. He shifted his balance on his cane.

"Oh," said Diancie.

Espurr smiled. Images flashed through his head.

Boiling fat peeling from writhing bones. Light so intense you could see their innards the moment before the ignited.

'Yes,' thought Espurr. 'A rock fairy type. Good for incendiary testing, I'd surmise.'

"However," he said. "There is a chance that I could fit you in somewhere...somewhere much better than a lowly janitor's position."

Diancie smiled and fluttered. Espurr smiled back.


	3. Ep 3: The CEO

Espurr sat in his office, leaned back. His ancient bones crackled as he reclined. His decrepit skin crizzled beneath his fading fur.

A wail drifted to his ears from the crisp bowels of his labs.

'Hey, be careful with her, boys,' Espurr thought. 'We're a weapons contractor, not a murder machine...though we might do that too, if there's a business for it.'

He laughed. Oh, how those wails so reminded him of his great glory days. He cast the fish-line of thought into the black depths of his memories, and dredged out an old good one...

'Yeah,' he thought. 'This'll be the one to tell the boys. This is the one.'

II

Parked cars and swinging doors filled the lots of the old stadium at which he'd played. High on stage, the crowd's eyes affixed to his ears, waiting for the magic to happen. He'd smiled, and played a few high notes for the crowd.

"Fire!" he'd proclaimed in his booming voice. "Fire! True fire, not at all like the kind that spews from the jaws of we beasts. No, true fire...comes from the pits of hell! Satan breathes infernal fumes, and rides high, high high _**high.**_ On the vapours that fill the crooks and nannies of his caves-" (they snickered at his gaffe: 'nooks and crannies, dammit,' he thought). "-well, tonight, ladies and gentlemen, I will begin our show with a special presentation...of true fire!"

Out from behind the curtains rushed Sylveon, his assistant. She flashed her dazzling smile at the crowd, and waved her tight ribbons.

Espurr turned to Sylveon, smiled. At the snap of his fingers, a trolly rolled out from behind the curtains. Within it lay a long barreled gun, its trigger wider that Espurr's paw. He picked it up, switched it to setting one.

"This, my dears," said Espurr, "is the fire of beasts, of pokemon."

He pulled the trigger, dousing Sylveon in red. When he let go, Sylveon lay on the ground, panting her pain. She was yet unmarked.

Espurr grinned at the audience.

"Now," he said. "Pay close attention. For this...is true fire!"

Espurr pulled the trigger for but a second, long enough only to put Sylveon alight. She screamed, her agony rushing flooding every corner of the stadium. The air was aflood with smoke and the scent of burning flesh. Sylveon hovered in the center of a gale, the ever intense blaze permeating her pores. She opened her mouth, and there was fire; the pervasive, mindless creature had entered her lungs, her chest, filling her up to the brink-

And then in one final puff, she was gone. All that remained of the girl with the dazzling smile was a pile of ash.

There was a silence. Then the crowd roared.

The loved it. Not that it didn't matter someone had killed a pokemon; it did.

Because before then, it couldn't be done.

Espurr had made true magic...a reality.

...

'No, wait,' thought Espurr, returning to the present. 'I've told the boys that one a million times. They're most definitely sick of it by now. Ah well. Perhaps I'll tell them the one about the prostitutes. I've only told that one four times, and they laugh up a storm.'

Espurr leaned all the way back in his chair, and allowed the screams from below to put him to sleep.

The perfect lullaby for the sadist.


	4. Ep 4: The Girl

Diancie pounded at the bars of her cage, weeping. Steam drifted by her face, her tears vaporized.

'Oh, why oh why did I _do_ this?' she thought. 'I've got to be the stupidest fairy in the world, taking a job with the first weapons contractor. I should've known they'd use me for testing. Why oh why did I do this? Why?"

Diancie's face fell, began to rise as Espurr stepped into view.

"Please oh please, let me go!" Diancie pleaded. "I just wanted to work for you!"

"And you are," Espurr said. "And when today is over, I'll send you home with four thousand dollars, more than enough to tide you and your family over till you can find yourself a real job."

"Please!" Diancie begged. "There must be some other way I can help! Maybe..."

Espurr looked puzzled, then realized and laughed.

"Oh," he said. "That's what you mean. No, I'm sorry. I don't take melted poon. Besides, my heart's not good enough for that anymore."

Espurr turned around, nodded to Diancie's keepers, on their lunch break.

"I've got a good story for you and the others tonight, boys," Espurr said.

"Oh boy," muttered one guard. "I hope it's the one with the prostitutes, that one's hilarious."

Diancie watched Espurr go and wept.

She prayed the keepers would take another hour for their sandwiches and coffee.


	5. Ep 5: The One About Prostitutes

'You know,' Espurr thought as he climbed to the top of the podium, 'if I were to die right now, and to face the judges of lives, I could safely say that I feel nothing but pride for my life. Sure, I've done terrible things. Killed my parents at a few weeks old (still have my father's bottle shard), incinerated more assistants than anyone can count...not that I feel guilt or shame for any of that. No, I would say I feel proud of myself. After all, I have done such an amazing thing for this world. I gave it murder, suicide, and war. No one else can say that.'

Espurr smiled, taking the microphone as he reached the top of the podium. His employees cheered for him, singing his praises.

"Hello," he said. They cheered louder. He grinned.

"Right," he said. "Tonight, before we get started with the end of the year ceremonies, I have a little story to share with you all. I don't believe I've told this one very many times. It was about forty five years ago now. I was feeling a bit horny, and..."

He chuckled, then stopped. He had no pulse.

'Judges of lives, eh?' he thought. He laughed as the death fog engulfed him.

Sulfur and the inferno met his nose. He grinned.

"Oh Satan," Espurr said. "You old pie maker."


	6. Ep 6: 4,000 Blank

Diancie staggered in through the door of her family's shack. Her flesh was peeling. She was covered in burns, and smelled like napalm, sulfur, dioxin. In her fist, she clutched eight five-hundreds.

Diancie stumbled into the room she shared with her sisters, collapsed onto the bed.

She released a small sigh. She followed it with a long cry, weeping her eyes out.

"Why?" she whispered. She sniffled.

Someone patted her on the back. Diancie turned. It was her little sister.

"Why are you crying, big sis?" asked her sister. "And what happened to you? You look awful."

Diancie held out her hand and dropped the bills in front of her sister. They drifted to the floor, melancholy.

"Tell mama I brought home money," Diancie choked. "But I couldn't find any work."

Diancie could hear her sister counting the bills.

"Oh my," her sister said. "Sis, I think we might just be able to pay of the gage!"

"Really?" sighed Diancie. "Good. Go tell mama."

Diancie waited till her sister left, then resumed her weeping.

II

Diancie awoke in the night to a gag stuffed in her mouth and a revolver pressed to her cranial.

"You make a move, and I blow your brains out," growled her attacker. Diancie stared at the three pokemon in her room; a shiny Mew, a Meganium, and the Ditto holding the revolver.

The window was blown out.

The Ditto grinned at her.

"Your maa, wise old woman she is, decided to make some use of you at last. Couldn't find a job in five months, huh?" the Ditto said. "Well, I got a job for you. You're coming down with us, and you're gonna pleasure us some customers."

Diancie felt her body levitate, under control of the Mew. The Ditto grinned.

"Oh, don't worry though," it said. "We'll make sure your family gets a nice slice of the pie. Ain't that right, boys?"

The others nodded.

Diancie felt her throat close.


	7. Ep 7: ProstitutedThe Pimp

Diancie wanted to scream. She could feel his fluids filling her, like fire. The pain was immortal.

The customer let out a gasp, slumped over. He got off her, gingerly. As he left, Ditto entered, grinning with a fat stack of cash in its palm. It flicked through the tens with its tongue.

"You done me real good today, girl," Ditto said. "You see these? These are yours."

Diancie said nothing. Ditto sighed.

"Well, obviously, you don't really get them," Ditto said. "No no, these are for you maa. Hey Mega!"

The Meganium ducked his head into the room.

"Yeah boss?" he said. Ditto handed him the dough.

"Take these," Ditto said, "and send them to this kid's adress. Hey, kid. You want me to put a message in with that? I'm not lying when I say these are for your maa."

Diancie said nothing. She couldn't. She wanted to, desperately.

But she couldn't.

Ditto shrugged.

"Just send the dough to the right address," it said. Meganium nodded.

"You got it, boss," he said. He ducked out.

II

Diancie awoke in the middle of the night crying. Her sheets were wet.

'I pissed myself,' she cried. She willed her body to move, to change the sheets.

'Please,' she begged. 'I just want to change the sheets, they're right there, please, oh god I hate my life I hate my life I hate me I hate me I-'

III

Another customer satisfied, more white stains to be scrubbed in her memory.

The Mew hovered at the entrance to the room. It spoke directly into her mind.

"The boss is concerned about you," Mew said. "It thinks you might be traumatized. Considering getting you a therapist. Now look; I respect you like I respect all the boss's bitches. I just do the books. But I don't want the boss to waste its money on you. So just...say something to it, dammit. Make it clear that you're not just a walking corpse or something...christ."

The Mew exited, and Ditto entered.

"Hey, kid," Ditto said. It held another stack. "I'm doubling your pay. Look. I know these last few weeks have been hard on you, but surely, you know your maa is concerned 'bout you. Surely there's something you'd like to tell her."

Diancie forced herself to nod. Ditto smiled, relieved.

"Good," it said. "Can you talk?"

Diancie shook her head.

"That's alright, I know just the thing," Ditto said. "MEGA! MEW!"

The pimp's assists entered. Mew frowned.

"Mega, take the money, get the envelope ready," Ditto said, passing Meganium the stack. "Mew, give the girl your pad and charcoal, please."

Mew took the requested items from its pocket, laid them before Diancie. She made no move. Mew sighed, placed the charcoal in her hand, the pad beneath. Diancie forced out a scrawl. A tear fell onto the page. Finished, Mew took the pad from her, read the three inch letters aloud.

"'I miss you,'" Mew read.

Ditto nodded.

"Don't worry, kid," it said. "You'll be with her 'gain soon."

It nodded to Mew. Mew ripped the page off, gave it to Meganium, who stuck it in the envelope with the cash. Meganium held the envelope up so Diancie could see it, then left with Mew.

Diancie closed her eyes. A tear scrolled her face.

IIII

A warm hand slapped her cross the face. She opened her eyes, found Mew's face in hers.

"Get up," he spat. He pulled her from the bed. Diancie staggered, fell. Mew ripped her back up again, levitating her.

"Don't you understand what's going on here?" Mew said. "The boss is sending you back. Mow come on, let's go."

Diancie forced herself to move forward.

"The boss is having regrets about taking you on board," Mew muttered. "Don't know why. It's never had qualms 'bout raping girls before. Maybe you're just special."

Mew spat.

"But to me, you're just pitiable tang, and don't you ever forget that," he said.

IIIII

Three shadowy figures stood in the curb, waiting for the funeral procession to go past.

"I know one bitch doesn't make much a difference at this point, boss," said Mew, "but I just want to know; why'd you let her go?"

Ditto was silent a moment, then spoke.

"Do you know how Dittos are born, Mew?" asked Ditto.

"Egg," Mew scoffed.

"Wrong," said Ditto. "Live birth."

Ditto took a deep breath.

"My own parent was comatose like that," it said. "Thought it was nothing. Made a huge mistake there. Not making it again. So _that_...is why we're sending her back. Got it?"

"Got it," replied the pimp's assists. "Got it."


	8. Ep 8: Empty Handed

Awaken, a voice in the darkness, crying out.  
Mesprit flailed, strapped down to the griddle. Sweat poured from her every pore. Tiny droplets fled down her skin and collected in the miniature gutters surrounding her. An IV line kept her hydrated, kept the sweat flowing.  
Mesprit shrieked as the men below turned up the heat. The sweat flowed faster.  
The sharp clicking of heels against stone floor arose to meet her.  
"Well, if it isn't my lady of emotion," Salamence drawled. "I must thank you again for joining us. Well? What do you think? Isn't our new torture method effective? And you haven't even seen the best part of it yet."  
Mesprit opened her mouth to respond. Her voice evaporated in the heat.  
The beast chuckled.  
"Ahh," it said. "You know what they said when the old chief died of heart attack? They said that our company would never be the same. I don't think those fools anticipated this, though, do you?"  
"Gratuitous...old...fuck," Mesprit gasped. Salamence laughed.  
"Oh, child," said Salamence. "Resistance is fine, but I think we'll soon see you turn to our position. After all: all we want to do is level the playing field a little."  
"By enslaving the powerful?" Mesprit said. "By locking us away?"  
"Of course," said Salamence. "How else?"  
The beast sidled to her. Its teeth hung from the air before her.  
"I think you'll like this bit," said Salamence. "Do you know why we've collected your sweat?"  
Mesprit shook her head.  
"Well," said Salamence. "Simply relinquish your energies, and you won't have to."  
"You already have me tied up so I can't escape," Mesprit said. "Now you want me to give up what remaining powers I have you haven't already negated?"  
"Of course," said Salamence. "That is the whole idea of 'leveling the playing field,' isn't it? By making everyone equal. Except, of course, for those with guns."  
"Fuck you," Mesprit spat. Salamence clucked.  
"Nuh-uh, little miss, haha," said Salamence. From its storage, it withdrew a set of clasps. With these, it set Mesprit's mouth wide. The beast took out a large mug, which it filled with the sweat gathered in the reservoir below the griddle.  
"Did you know, Mesprit, that each type has a substance that will negate it?" said Salamence. It poured the sweat into Mesprit's gaping mouth. She spluttered, but was forced to swallow the fluids. She shrieked.  
"It's true," continued the beast. "For example, electric types can have their powers removed by a quick dip in molten rubber. Interestingly enough, psychic types lose their powers if they drink their own bodily fluids. We would've gone with urine for you, but we thought that sweat might be a little more effective."  
Mesprit cried out. Salamence filled up the mug again and again, continuing to pour sweat into Mesprit's mouth.  
The beast began to whistle.  
'Well,' it thought. 'Isn't this fun. I feel...reborn, almost.'

======================================================

"I must admit," said the Pikachu, "that I'm captured by a certain...obsession, to lay the mighty low and beneath the feet of the common man."  
"That's good," said Salamence. "That's one of the things we look for in potential scouts. But, of course, before we can hire you, we must acquaint you with our system."  
They reached the bottom of the stairwell, and stopped before the great door.  
"Here," said the beast. It passed Pikachu a bowl of boiling pale yellow. Pikachu sniffed at it.  
"What's this?" he asked.  
"Boiling rubber," said Salamence. "It's for your own safety, as well as the safety of the test subjects."  
"I see," said Pikachu. It tentatively dipped its paws in.  
"Hmm," he said. "What does it do?"  
"As an electric type, contact with boiling rubber will negate your powers for a time relative to the amount of contact involved," said the beast.  
"Hmm," said Pikachu.  
Salamence opened the door, and they stepped into the hall beyond.  
Moans filled the air. Dried bodily fluids stained the stone floor.  
They walked past cells packed with fire types screaming as their fires consumed their organs, water types drowning from fluid in the lungs, and other scenes of agony. At last they reached the centerpiece: Mesprit. She, rendered mindless by the negation, threw herself against the bars of her cage, drooling across the floor. She groaned and bit the bars of her cell. Her teeth cracked. She moaned and tried to chew.  
"Well well well," said Pikachu. "So explain to me what I'm seeing."  
"Every type of energy can be negated by the proper stimuli," said Salamence. "For electrics, negation is activated by boiling rubber. For fire types, exposure to argon or other basic asphyxiant. For psychic types such as Mesprit, consumption of bodily fluids."  
"I see," said Pikachu. He grinned. "Nice. So. Why is she acting so...stupid?"  
"We have discovered that medium exposure negates powers entirely, and high exposure causes what our researchers have termed, 'inversion pain.' That is to say, the pokemon harm themselves with their own energies. As psychic pokemon receive their high intelligences from their powers rather than their bodies, the negation shows their true intelligence."  
Pikachu cackled.  
"Nice," he said. "So could I potentially, say, keep this Mesprit as a pet?"  
"Theoretically, yes," said Salamence. "But, unfortunately, the effects of negation are always temporary. The effects of light exposure such as you have undergone only last around seven hours. High exposure effects such as Mesprit experiences usually last only a month."  
"Hmm," said Pikachu. "A pity you can't find a way to make it permanent. I can easily see this Mesprit as loyal a footrest as my dog."  
The beast laughed.  
"I like you," it said. "You've got the job, my friend."  
"Excellent," said Pikachu. "With whom do I start?"  
"Well," said the Salamence, glancing at Mesprit. "We need a complete collection, don't we?"

====================================================

Azelf sighed at the squelch beneath her rear, sitting down to use the porta-potty.  
'Well, what do you expect, I guess,' she thought. 'I mean, who can expect people to clean the urine off the seat. Assholes.'  
She wiped herself clean and headed out towards her car. Light from the moon caught on the small photograph hanging from the rearview mirror. She sighed.  
'I wonder what happened to those two,' she thought.

===================================================

"Alright," muttered Pikachu. "Where to begin..."  
He stormed out through the foggy night, across the farms and towards the largest lakes in the county. He chuckled.  
'They're not called the lake trio for nothing, after all,' he thought. He chuckled.  
The temperature in the car dropped. Pikachu frowned and pulled the car aside the road. He cocked his gun.  
"Well, when did you show up?" Pikachu muttered.  
"Just now," said the newcomer. "I figured the corp would send its men to get us eventually. But I believe I figured a way out."  
"Really." said Pikachu. "What's that?"  
"You'll never find her without my help," said the newcomer.  
"Huh," said Pikachu. "You know, I don't really trust a man who won't look me in the eyes."  
"Sorry," chuckled the newcomer. "Mine are sewn shut. This yellowhead sees nothing."  
"Well, even so," said Pikachu. "You'll have to do a lot better than that."  
"Oh, I can," said the newcomer. "I know a way to make the negation permanent. How would you like a pinkhead for a pet, eh?"  
Pikachu grinned.  
"You've got yourself a deal," Pikachu said. He laughed. "Well, aren't you a smooth talker?"  
The newcomer chuckled.  
"What's the point of knowledge if you can't save your own skin?" said the newcomer.

=======================================

Azelf drove down the highway, twitching at every shadow in the night.  
'Dammit,' she thought. 'Fuck fuck fuck. Fuck you, Arceus for making me one of a kind, for making me such a big damn target.'  
She shrieked as something dashed in front of her car. She swerved to avoid it, and ended up lodged in a ditch. She sighed and got out of the car. She surveyed the damage with a sigh.  
"Looks like I've got to tow it," she muttered. "Aw dammit."  
There was a laugh behind her.  
"Don't worry," cackled the voice. "We'll help you."  
Azelf spun around to see a Pikachu, holding a gun trained on her head. Beside him floated her brother.  
"Uxie?!" Azelf said. "Why? Why would you lead these people to me?"  
Uxie laughed.  
"Sorry, sis!" Uxie grinned. "But logic dictates that in times of duress and danger, you've got to look out for numero uno. And numero uno...is me."  
Azelf scowled.  
"You selfish fucking bastard!" Azelf said. She fired off an attack. It evaporated in the air before them.  
Pikachu laughed and fired his tazer into her thigh. Azelf collapsed with a scream. Uxie approached her. He grabbed her head and held it up. Pikachu walked to her side and raised a thick vial in his hand. He grinned.  
"Thank you," he said, "for using a public restroom."  
Azelf's eyes widened.  
"W-wai-aurghk!" she began, cut off by Uxie holding her mouth open. Pikachu laughed, uncorked the vial, poured its contents down her throat.  
"Here," he said. "Drink up."


End file.
